A long-standing users group for the Brixton Recreation Centre has re-formed to protest against Lambeth Council’s proposals to get rid of the Rec in its draft plan for ‘Future Brixton’.
The Brixton Rec Users Group (BRUG) will meet tonight at 6pm at the Rec (Level 6) to discuss a plan of action. The group is now urging people to raise objections with their local councilors, as well as cabinet member for regeneration Cllr Lib Peck, ahead of a crucial Lambeth Labour meeting on November 6. Their facebook group can be found here.
Robyn Dasey, a member of BRUG, said: “I started swimming at the Rec the day it opened in 1984. I think it’s the best pool in London.
“There’s a lot of things in the Rec and the gym is the biggest in Lambeth by far.”
The Brixton Rec is also politically significant, built after the Brixton Riots in 1981 when the Scarman Report revealed how few leisure opportunities were available to young people in the borough.
In 2011 BRUG successfully campaigned for new charges for over 60s and under 16s, who previously swam for free, to be capped at £1.
I think, in essence, Rec is a good building and serves it’s purpose well.The way council manages the place, alters the design and maintains the building a different matter. It’s absolutely vital part of life in the area and any disruptions will have severe impact on the community. So some refurbishment is probably wiser than demolition.
Something needs to be done about the rec. It’s run down and dirty and I would never use it. It urgently needs to be refurbished or even better demolished and replaced with a state of the art leisure centre as is being suggested by the council. Why are there so many people in Brixton stuck in the 1980s that oppose any change for the better. I’m fiercely proud to be a Brixonite and we deserve the best. I fully support plans to upgrade the Brixton rec centre as do many of my neighbours in Brixton.